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Shirley Prom
BIO 105 G14
Eric Osborn
September 3, 2014

Lab #3 Report
Diffusion across Dialysis Tubing:
Movement of Molecules

Introduction:
Molecular diffusion determines which molecules can enter and exit a cell, and is essential to cell
function. The spontaneous movement of a molecule from an area of high concentration to an
area of lower concentration is a dependent on the size of the molecules, the type of medium and
the temperature. In a stage with uniform temperature, absent external net forces acting on the
particles, the diffusion process will eventually result in complete mixing.
The result of diffusion is a gradual mixing of material such that the distribution of molecules is
uniform. At this point, molecules may still be moving back and forth, but there is no net
movement in any one direction.
The purpose of this lab is to perform an experiment in observe diffusion. The observation is to
determine whether either of the two solutes will diffuse into the other solute. The solute
containing glucose and starch will be contained inside of the dialysis membrane and the solute
with distilled water and iodine will be in the beaker, in which the dialysis membrane will be
submerged into. My hypothesis is that the starch and the glucose will both diffuse from the
dialysis membrane into the distilled water and iodine solute and that the iodine and distilled
water solute will not penetrate the walls of the dialysis membrane.
Materials and Methods:

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We began our experiment by filling a beaker with 170 milliliters of distilled water and we added
five milliliter of iodine to the water using a plastic pipette. After filling the beaker, we chose a
dialysis membrane and submerged it under water in order to open the membrane. After the
dialysis membrane was opened a two inch piece of string was tied in a knot at one end of the
membrane in order to close one end of the dialysis membrane. In the open end of the dialysis
membrane three milliliters of glucose solution, as well as, four milliliters of starch were
dispensed into the dialysis membrane using a plastic pipette. The solution inside the dialysis
membrane was then mixed together by gently rubbing the outside of the dialysis membrane. The
membrane was then placed closed end first into the beaker. We made sure that the open end of
the dialysis membrane did not open up during this process. About one and a half inches of the
open end of the dialysis membrane was folded over the lip of the beaker and a piece of string
approximately eight inches in length was used as a band around the beaker to hold the dialysis
membrane in place.
After five minutes, the solute inside the dialysis membrane began to take on a blue appearance
which we documented in our lab paperwork. After the appearance was documented, a pipette
was used to withdraw three milliliters of solution from the bottom and around the dialysis
membrane of the beaker which was dispensed into a glass test tube. A glucose strip was then
inserted into the glass test tube and the test strip was coated with the solution from the beaker.
We waited thirty seconds as instructed on the bottle of the glucose strip. After the thirty seconds
we observed the results on the test strip. The glucose strip color was then compared to the chart
provided on the bottle of the glucose strips. The results indicated that the glucose content on the
glucose test strip was 250 milligrams per deciliter.

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After the glucose strip was evaluated, the water level inside the beaker was observed and
determined to have removed from the

Results/Data Analysis:
The data recorded indicated that the experiments conducted with the liquid variables: ketchup,
applesauce, milk and carbonated beverage were repeatedly consistent. All five of the pillbugs in
the dual petri dish moved from the chamber containing the experiment liquid variables into the
chamber containing the control variable of water. In addition, the data collected from the
experiments conducted with the experimental liquid variables: ketchup, applesauce and a
carbonated beverage indicated that the pillbugs repelled the experimental variables and preferred
to remain in the chamber that contained the control variable of water.
The results collected from the dry ingredient experiments revealed that when the experimental
dry variables: cornmeal, baking soda, flour and coffee creamer were tested the pillbugs exhibited
the same repelling behavior as with the liquid experiments. When the experimental liquids were
placed into one of petri dish chambers and the controlled variable of water was placed in the

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other chamber the pillbugs began to move from the chamber containing the experimental
variables into the chamber with the control variable of water. We also recorded the behaviors of
the pillbugs which encompassed the pillbugs climbing on top of each other and following one
another at times.
The results from the distance and speed experiment were as follows: the pillbug crawled
approximately 26 centimeters in 81 seconds, which calculates to .321 centimeters per second.

Discussions:
The data collected was consistent with the idea that the odor may have been a contributing factor
in the pillbugs behavior towards experimental variables used in our experiment and the actual
behavior of the pillbugs was consistent with the various types of both liquid and dry ingredients.
One behavior that I found interesting is that during the liquid experiments the pillbugs were
consistently crawling towards and even into the water where their bodies would float on the top
of the water droplet. Another behavior in which the pillbugs would tap their rear appendage on
the dish floor was fascinating to watch.

Conclusion:
The data recorded does, in fact, support my hypothesis that the pillbug is repelled from liquid
and dry ingredients that have an unnatural odor. The observations of the pillbugs reaction to the
experimental variables leads me to contend that the odor may in fact play a crucial part in the
behaviors exhibited by the pillbugs. The utilization of the scientific method steps has led me to
conclude that the results are accurate and provide information supporting the question originally

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posed as to whether pillbugs use their sense of smell to repel or accept changes in their
environment. The data retrieved from the six lab teams within my biology class are indicators
that a majority of the class observed and record similar if not exactly the same results as my lab
team concluded. The overall class findings support my hypothesis that the odors of the
experimental variables could have clearly effected the behavior of the pillbug to repel the
variables.